2. Combine liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, garlic, honey, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and ginger in a small saucepan on medium-low heat. Stir together.3. Mix cold water and arrowroot powder together in a small bowl. Whisk mixture into other ingredients in the small saucepan

4. Whisk mixture together and simmer until it thickens up, about 5 minutes.5. Lightly grease a medium casserole dish, add chicken, and then pour sauce over top of chicken. Turn chicken over a few times to thoroughly coat with sauce.

6. Cook chicken in 425 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until cooked through. About every 10 minutes, spoon sauce on top of chicken to coat.

7. Chicken can be served with brown rice and/or mixed vegetables. Enjoy! :)

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I've been trying to find a good recipe with chicken stuffed with goat cheese, so I just made one up myself :) This was very yummy and easy because it only uses a few ingredients. The chicken came out very moist! Hope you try it soon!Jalapeno, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken(serves 2)

Ingredients:1/2 Tbsp coconut oil2 cloves garlic, minced5 oz. spinach2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced1/3 c. goat cheese1 eggSalt & pepper1/3 c. whole wheat breadcrumbsToothpicksDirections:1. Mince garlic. Heat 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic.2. After cooking the garlic a couple of minutes, add all of spinach to the pan. Mix the spinach around well to coat with the garlic and oil. Put the lid on the skillet for 2 minutes. Mix together again and cook another 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and coated.

3. Remove from heat, and mix in a small bowl with goat cheese and jalapenos.

4. Split open the side of the chicken breasts to create an opening for stuffing it with the cheese mixture.

5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg. In another small shallow bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, and some salt and pepper (to taste).

6. Stuff chicken with the cheese mixture and use toothpicks to hold it closed. Dip chicken in egg then roll in breadcrumbs (being careful not to lose your filling).

7. Place chicken in a casserole dish, top with a few sliced jalapenos, and cook at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. I served this with my Mango Quinoa Salad (see recipe here), but it would be great with any vegetable and/or starch.

This recipe is adapted from the "California Quinoa Salad Whole Foods Copycat" recipe on another blog: KidTestedFirefighterApproved (which was also shared on facebook by my friend Elizabeth). I too have tried the California Quinoa Salad from Whole Foods and both my husband and I loved it! I meant to make this as a main dish yesterday (I am trying to do a Meatless Monday like Food Inc. - maybe next week!), but I ended up not having time to do so. Anyway, I am making this for a side dish with a chicken dish I will also share with you and hope you enjoy it!Mango Quinoa Salad(serves 6)

Ingredients:1 c. mixed quinoa (sprouted or regular quinoa is fine too)1 1/2 c. waterSalt1/2 package of frozen mangoes (I found mine at the local health food store) or 2 fresh mangoes1/2 medium red onion, chopped1/2 bell pepper, chopped (red or green)1 c. of fresh cilantro (or 2 Tbsp of dried)1/3 c. almonds, cut in half (soaked and dehydrated is best - see procedure here)3/4 c. raisins1 1/2 c. edamame (I bought frozen and thawed it)3 Tbsp lime juice2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar2 Tbsp shredded or flaked, unsweetened coconut (optional)Directions:1. Add quinoa to a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak for 15-30 minutes. This isn't necessary, but will help with the cooking process and the texture. Strain out water and give the quinoa one last rinse and strain.

2. Cook quinoa according to package directions, or put 1 1/2 c. water, quinoa, and a few dashes of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, drop the heat down to low and cover (to simmer). Simmer for 20 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Remove from burner, allow to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Allow to cool.

3. Meanwhile, chop up the onion, pepper, mangoes, and cut almonds in half (you can easily pop them in half with your fingers).

Sunday, April 14, 2013

We had our friends over for dinner last night and I wanted to make an easy and delicious (and healthy) dinner for them! The recipe I adapted is from the Clean Eating Cookbook (great cookbook!). Be careful what kind of cream of chicken soup you buy because you want one with natural ingredients and not much sodium. I found mine in the organic aisle at Dierbergs. You could also make it yourself, but I was going for easy!Baked Chicken and Asparagus Casserole(serves 4)

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add rice to the bottom of a 9x13" casserole dish.

3. Clean and cut the ends off the asparagus spears (about 1" off the end). Add the asparagus to the casserole dish, on top of the rice, arranging lengthwise.

4. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken on top of the asparagus spears in the casserole dish.

5. Whisk together the 1/2 c. water and soup in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over top of the chicken in the casserole dish.

6. Finally, sprinkle the cheese over top of everything.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!! :) I served this with Sweet Potato Fries (see recipe here) and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies (see recipe here) for dessert!

These cookies are adapted from the cookbook "Healthy Treasures Cookbook" by Annette Reeder, I have made most of the items in her book and love it! I highly recommend it. These cookies use all natural ingredients, with no refined flour or refined sugar. We had friends over for dinner on Saturday, so I wanted to make a special treat for them! Enjoy :)Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies(makes 30-36)

3. Place a large piece of foil on a cookie sheet.4. Mix together sweet potato wedges, coconut oil, and chili powder in a bowl or on top of the foil. Spread out sweet potato wedges on the foil and cook at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, turning every few minutes. When a fork easily can be poked through the sweet potato wedges, they are done! Enjoy :)

Directions:1. Melt butter in a small skillet on medium heat. Crack in one or two eggs. Cook to your likeness; I like over medium - completely cooked egg white, yolk is still runny inside, where John likes over hard, with a cooked yolk. Make sure to flip at least once.

2. Slice english muffin in half and toast. If using turkey sausage, warm the turkey sausage in the same skillet until warm throughout (they usually come already cooked).

Thursday, April 11, 2013

This recipe was adapted from the cookbook "Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's". This cookbook is one of my favorites, I recommend buying it even if you don't shop at Trader Joe's. The book includes nutrition facts for each dish, and most are under 400 calories per serving. Most of the recipes in the book are pretty healthy and very easy; most only take about 20-25 minutes to prepare.

The recipe mine is based off of is actually "Seafood Paella," which includes scallops and shrimp (based off of the traditional Spanish dish served with seafood in saffron rice). In the past, I have included the shrimp, and will tell you below when to add it if you choose to use the shrimp and/or scallops. However, I left them out because I am choosing to limit eating a lot of shellfish. In a future post, I will talk about the meat/poultry/seafood that I do and do not eat and why. For now, here is the recipe....

Directions:
1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet or dutch oven. Saute sauasages until browned, about 5 minutes per side (use 2 if adding seafood, 4 if not using seafood) and transfer to a plate.

2. Slice sausages into about 1" chunks.

3. If using scallops, pat dry and saute until opaque, 2 minutes, remove from pan.

4. Add the other 1 Tbsp oil to the pan, add rice and stir to coat. Stir in water, salsa, and tumeric (or saffron). Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts boiling, cover and drop the heat down to low (to simmer). Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed.

6. Increase heat back to medium or medium-high (or until it is simmering without a lid) and cook for 5 minutes, until shrimp becomes opaque (if using) or until the rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid. Add back the sausage and scallops (if using), stirring to combine. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

With Seafood:
(assuming 6 servings, including seafood, about 1 1/2 c. per serving)

About Me & My Blog

Thank you for stopping by to read my blog: Food For Thought. In my blog, that is exactly what I try to do: share with others my thoughts and ideas as well as recipes as I prepare them in my own home. I am not a doctor or nutritionist, I just have a passion for healthy eating and healthy living. I hope you find my blog helpful and if you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to comment on my blog or contact me.

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